I have to admit, I’m pretty new to the genre of spiritual memoir. And I might as well tell you: I just made that genre up. I’m not sure if it’s a legitimate, publisher-sanctioned genre. But it works for me.

When I say “spiritual memoir,” I mean a book in which the author shares their spiritual journey or faith journey, through the use of many personal stories, while at the same time pointing readers to some timeless spiritual truths that they’ve discovered along the way. In my experience, this “teaching” is not heavy-handed, but rather a natural outflow of their personal story-telling.

So as I was saying, I’m pretty new to this genre; I’ve only read a handful of spiritual memoirs.  And to be honest, my opinion of the books has been mixed. There are some I’ve read that I simply wouldn’t recommend to others, for various reasons.

But I can whole-heartedly recommend the most recent one I’ve read: Stone Crossings by L.L. Barkat.

If you don’t read L.L.’s blog, Seedlings in Stone, you might want to check it out. That’s where I first “met” her and first came to admire her poetic style and her love for God. But if you do read Seedlings in Stone, then you won’t be surprised to hear that L.L.’s first book, Stone Crossings, is full of rich metaphors, a sense of wonder and grace, and an honest exploration of the truth.

In Stone Crossings, L.L. Barkat shares the story of her life — from heartbreaking childhood experiences, to becoming a wife and mother, to learning how to live out her faith in God on a daily basis. But it’s her personal approach that made me want to savor and re-read every chapter as I went along. Here’s what she offers:

• Honesty. L.L. doesn’t sugar-coat the painful stuff of life. She shares honestly, from the heart, without melodrama, but with approachable sincerity.

• Encouragement. L.L.’s exploration of faith and spiritual growth felt, to me, like talking to a mentor. Always, she reminds the reader that God’s grace is real and abundant — available to us right now, wherever we are.

• Information. On topics from leprosy to the Old Testament Tabernacle, L.L. includes fascinating details that add a depth and new perspective to the Biblical passages she shares.

• An Accurate Filter. This was, to me, the most important factor in my appreciation for Stone Crossings. In several other spiritual memoirs I’ve read, the focus was primarily on the author (understandable — it’s a memoir after all), but it seemed that, though the author shared Scripture passages or thoughts about God, they too often interpreted God or the Bible in light of their own experiences. Not so with Stone Crossings. Throughout her story, L.L. is faithful to interpret her experiences in light of the truth of God and His word. Her focus on Scripture and its relevance is predominant, which I believe makes Stone Crossings stand out in its genre.

So if you’re looking for a book that takes you on a journey of faith and growth, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Stone Crossings. And in the meantime, click over to check out L.L.’s blog, Seedlings in Stone!